Mr. Speaker, this has been a fascinating day for me. How many angels can dance on the head of a needle? It is quite fascinating. I will be splitting my time with the member for Scarborough East.
I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this important opposition day motion. Let me begin by commending the hon. member and her party for their interest in how the Canadian forces are being equipped to do their job. Certainly this is of concern to many Canadians. As the hon. member knows, the government has been taking progressive steps for some time now to ensure that Canada's military has the state of the art equipment it needs.
I also acknowledge the hon. member's concern for the prudent use of taxpayer dollars. One of my principal goals as an elected official has always been to make sure that the government and the governments with which I served before on a municipal level deliver an appropriate level of service to all Canadians in an efficient and cost effective manner. I think that is the role of all politicians, is it not?
National defence is one of the most important services any government can provide its citizens. Expenditures in this area must undergo very careful scrutiny. I have no doubt that the maritime helicopter project will withstand such scrutiny. I also believe that the procurement strategy developed by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services is in the best interest of Canadians and our defence personnel.
From a strictly economic perspective, two factors set defence and military procurement aside from most other types of purchases. First, defence equipment is generally in service for relatively long periods of time so a strategic long term outlook is necessary.
As hon. members have no doubt been made aware throughout debate on the motion, defence equipment tends to be extremely costly. The maritime helicopter project is a case in point. The replacements for Canada's aging Sea King helicopters are expected to be in service for more than 20 years. They will be used in harsh conditions and extremely dangerous situations. Safety and durability are of utmost importance.
These helicopters and their associated integrated mission systems will be expensive to purchase. In fact, it bears repeating that even though we are saving taxpayers up to $1.5 billion compared to the former government's helicopter purchase project, it is still a huge financial commitment. With a value of close to $2.9 billion, the maritime helicopter project is the single largest procurement currently being managed by the Department of Public Works and Government Services.
That is why it is important to have a fair, open, transparent and competitive tendering process to award these contracts. We believe that separate competitive processes will ensure that the crown obtains both the required helicopters and the integrated mission system, as well as long term in service support that is absolutely necessary at the lowest possible price. I have the utmost confidence in the ability of the minister of public works and his department to manage this procurement.
When listening to debate coming from the opposite side of the House one thinks that as soon as the Liberals win an election we immediately dismiss all the departmental personnel and hire just Liberals to do a terrible job for the Canadian public. In fact, we have a huge department of people who have worked here for years and years, much before that party was even a glimmer in Mr. Manning's eye, and they have a vested interest.